Advice For Friendship Making Will Backfire
by starspangledpumpkin
Summary: Hermione needs to change her ways before going to Hogwarts. Just not in the way she thinks she does.


**Prompt**: (Call of the Wild) A character makes changes to adapt to a new environment.

**Additional Prompts**: 1. It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows how poor that person is. It doesn't hurt you."- To Kill a Mockingbird; 10. (emotion) confused; 11. (dialogue) "Sorry. Just forget I said anything."

**Word Count**: 1424

**Challenges**: Short Jog; Click-Bait It; Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Ethnic & Present; Neurodivergent; Quiet Time (Y); Booger Breath (Y); Golden Times; Rian-Russo Inversion (Y); Flags & Ribbons (Y); Letter of the Day; Old Shoes (Y); Interesting Times; Two Cakes!; Themes and Things A (New Beginnings); Themes and Things B (Loneliness); Themes & Things C (Painting); Black Ribbon (Y); Black Ribbon Redux; No Proof

**Space Address**: A3 - School

**Warnings**: bullying; use of slurs

**AN**: You can't prove that any of this _isn't_ canon compliant.

~o0o~

Hermione's brand-new trunk sat open at the foot of her bed. She had already neatly folded her robes into it and her school supplies was packed away into her bag. She just needed to decide what else to bring with her. Her younger sister (by six minutes) was sitting on her own bed, watching it all.

"Don't forget your Whitney Houston tape," said Paulina.

"I don't need Whitney anymore," Hermione insisted, setting her book down so she could sign. "I'm going to a magic school and everyone will be like me. I won't be the weird kid anymore."

It was no secret Hermione hated school. She liked learning well enough, but being crammed into a cold classroom with those loud lights was awful enough without the constant bullying. She didn't even fit in with the other weird kids. But all the books and tv shows told her that witches embraced different. Surely everyone would be excited to be at school and focus their efforts on magic rather than lashing out at each other through boredom and changing hormones.

Paulina tipped her head. "Well then… what about your Howl's Moving Castle series?"

"That's just what Muggles think magic is like, but it's very different. I need to let go of all pre-conceived notions about how magic works."

"Has it ever occurred to you that this technical outlook on life is why you don't have friends?"

Hermione scowled at her sister. "I just need to find people like me! First, I need to let go of all this Muggle stuff. No Walkman, none of these posters, and forget my Muggle-centric books like Nancy Drew. If I'm going to be a witch, I need to immerse myself into the culture."

"I'd say don't lose yourself in the process, but that would require a personality."

"I have personality."

"Yeah, 90% books and 10% snooty attitude."

"Hey!"

Paulina wiggled her hand. "Uh… forget I said anything. Just go on being your nerdy self. Statistically speaking, someone will like you for you."

Hermione stuck her tongue out and Paulina copied her. As much as they fought, Hermione was going to miss her sister.

She was going to change. She was going to fit in with her new world or die trying.

~o0o~

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Why weren't things the way they were supposed to be? These kids who grew up with magic acted as if the wonderful things they witnessed and learned were as boring as data tables and excerpts of Charles Dickens.

Which also meant that people weren't distracted by the wonders around them and found time to be cruel to others. And even with all her research, Hermione stuck out like a sore thumb. There were so many things she didn't know about wizard culture and nobody seemed to want to tell her. If she asked, they just looked at her like she was crazy or laughed at her.

Like in late October, she was exploring the halls and talking to portraits to try and learn more about the castle's history. She ended up coming across a portrait of Merlin, which she found rather fascinating despite the fact he was rather unsavory in the original legends. She prefered Disney's version of Merlin above all others, but he still had knowledge to bestow she was sure.

"I attended Hogwarts when I was a boy," said Merlin. "I was sorted into Slytherin house and excelled there."

Hermione furrowed her brow. Now that couldn't possibly be right. Arthurian legend was a special interest of hers. Perhaps one of the older kids could set the matter straight for her.

She climbed up and down the stairs a couple times trying to decide which direction to go before choosing up. On the next level, she saw an older boy, about third year. He was wearing a blue and bronze scarf which meant he was a Ravenclaw. Perfect.

"Excuse me," she said in her most proper voice. "I was just exploring and I find something odd about this Merlin portrait. He couldn't possibly have attended Hogwarts, could he?"

The boy scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess, Muggle-born?"

Hermione nodded before she could stop herself.

"This is exactly why Hogwarts shouldn't allow mudbloods like you into this school. You're the reason we have to dumb down the curriculum."

She flinched as if he had slapped her. Mudblood? Were wizards just as prejudiced against black people? This was last year all over again. People calling her a gollywog and tugging on her hair. She couldn't understand it. She had hoped wizards would be above such things. Professor McGonagall said that the wizarding world was more equal during orientation, but this interaction had proved otherwise.

"Hey!" a new voice said sharply. A boy with dark hair, grey eyes, and sandy skin rounded the corner. "I wonder what Professor Flitwick would have to say about that sort of language you're using, Atwood."

"Butt out, Diggory! This idiot still thinks Merlin is a myth!"

"No I don't!" Hermione snapped, finding her voice. "I just don't think it's possible that he went to Hogwarts."

"See what I mean?"

Diggory leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"Well, Atwood, perhaps she is talking about the Merlin from the Arthurian era of history which takes place between the fifth and sixth centuries, roughly three hundred years before Hogwarts was founded. He was retroactively sorted into Slytherin as were several famous wizards, many of whom are no longer well known. The Merlin in this portrait, however, is Merlin Ambrosius whose stories were told by the squib historian Geoffrey. He is different than the Arthurian Merlin, but their stories and histories often get confused and conglomerated, so all non-magical and even most magical people confuse them as one and the same. Of course, you'd know that if you paid attention at all in History of Magic instead of harassing people."

Atwood went red in the face and stormed off.

"Don't mind him," said Diggory.

"I thought the bad kids were all in Slytherin," said Hermione.

"Hey, there are bad kids in all the Houses," he replied. "People just pay more attention to the Slytherins, especially because Professor Snape doesn't hold them accountable for their actions." He shook his head. "Anyway, are you alright?"

"No… I'm just… so confused," she said. "I thought wizards were above prejudices. And everything I read about was wrong. I always thought I could rely on books to tell the truth."

"Hm… well, I'm working on a project for Divination," said Diggory. "I call it Predictive Text. It's where you take a quote from a book and use it to define your future. Let's try it." He dug into his bag and produced a book with a missing jacket. He flipped it open and tapped a line on the page. "It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows how poor that person is. It doesn't hurt you."

Hermione laughed mirthlessly.

"Do you believe that?" she asked.

"Not a bit," he replied. "Divination is more like personality guesswork. Listen, I get it. My mum and I are the only Muslims in Ottery St. Catchpole. I'm a pureblood, so I've got a leg up in the wizard world, but in the Muggle world? People are awful to me."

"So… Mudblood?"

"Not a reference to your skin," he said. "And it's not a jab at Irishness either. I've been asked that before. No, it's to refer to your Muggle parents. It's really bad, I don't know why teachers don't put a stop to it. Perhaps they're more biased than they let on."

Hermione sighed through her nose.

"None of this is new, but it still hurts. I just don't know what to do."

"Well… I find when it comes to making friends to start off with a favor," said Diggory. "Or endure a crisis. But I seriously doubt something big and dangerous will happen." His eyes darkened. "Again…"

"Wait, what do you mean 'again'?"

He checked his watch.

"I oughta go," he said. "I have Quidditch practice. Anyway, if anyone gives you a hard time you can come to me. I'm Cedric. Hufflepuff."

He rested a hand on his chest and nodded his head. Hermione copied the motion.

"I'm Hermione Granger."

"See you around, Hermione Granger."

Hermione watched him leave and thought over his words. A favor… Perhaps she could start by offering her help in classes. Tips on spellwork and such. Yes, that would work perfectly.


End file.
